Understanding & Preventing Foundation Problems in San Antonio
Your home’s overall health rests entirely on its foundation. If you ignore the signs problem with your foundation, it could turn into a major catastrophe that could cost you thousands of dollars to fix. As the adage goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and this is especially true when it comes to foundations.
Most foundation problems in and around San Antonio are caused by water. If there’s too much water, the soil will swell, and if there’s too little, the soil will shrink. Both situations can cause problems with your home’s foundation, primarily when the swelling or shrinkage is concentrated in one area of the foundation. In other words, if the soil under the foundation isn’t evenly wet or dry. Soil erosion caused by improper drainage can also lead to problems with your home’s foundation. We’ll talk more about these issues below.
Of course, water isn’t the only reason foundations fail. Let’s learn a little about expansive soils.
Expansive soils (soils that contain smectite clay minerals swell the most) are those that can absorb and release water. When this happens, they expand and shrink, often quite a bit.
This moisture absorption and release-process cause volume changes in the soil. This is perfectly OK if the soil under the structure is evenly wet or dry. In this case, the structure’s foundation will move as one unit as the soil expands or shrinks.
What if only part of the soil under your home’s foundation is constantly wet and the other parts are dry?
When certain areas of the soil under the foundation are dryer or more consistently moist than others, the foundation no longer moves as a whole as the soil expands or shrinks. When this happens, the foundation can develop cracks and other serious problems.
Soils that expand are present throughout the US and Canada, and in the US, they cause $2.3 billion in damage every year. Hundreds of millions of dollars of damage happens in Texas alone.
The Most Common Causes of Foundation Problems in Texas
The soil beneath the foundation dries out and shrinks during extreme heat
During hot, dry weather, the soil under your foundation shrinks as it dries out. When this happens, the support provided by the soil pulls away from the foundation, and this makes it unstable and more inclined to shift. When the foundation shifts, you start to see things like cracks in walls, ceilings, floors, and even problems with opening doors and windows.
Soil can also dry out because tree roots suck water from it. The soil then shrinks, pulls away from the foundation, and you start to have problems that can result in severe structural damage.
If you live in an area with expansive soils, like the Northeast parts of San Antonio, it’s essential to water both your lawn and your trees during hot, dry weather. This will prevent the soil from drying and pulling away from the foundation. If you water your trees, the roots won’t seek water under your home’s foundation. You want to make sure the soil does not get overly saturated in wet or rainy seasons.
The soil under the foundation absorbs too much water and pushes up on the foundation
Your foundation can also develop problems if the soil underneath it contains too much water. When the soil gets saturated with water, it swells and expands. This pushes upward on the foundation and can cause cracks in walls, floors, ceilings, etc. Your floors can even slope because of this upward movement.
Too much moisture in one area can compact or erode loose, granular soils or cause them to settle, which leads to uneven support under the foundation. In an area with expansive soil, too much moisture will cause the soil to expand.
Too much moisture can also cause soil erosion. Where does all this water come from. It comes from a variety of sources, including plumbing leaks, broken sewer lines, heavy rainfall, melting ice during harsh winters, or flooding rain.
Surface water should always flow away from your foundation. Gutters and downspouts should be kept free of debris so that water doesn’t overflow near the foundation. French drains can also be installed if your property has an issue with water pooling by the foundation (more on this later).
Your home’s foundation was improperly constructed by your homebuilder
So, as we’ve seen, the soil swells as it absorbs water and shrinks as it releases water. This is especially true of clay soil, which is quite common in the Northeastern San Antonio region. Clay soil swells a lot when it absorbs water and then shrinks when it releases the moisture considerably. This back and forth – extreme swelling and shrinking – puts a lot of stress on a foundation.
Problems can also happen when your home is built on top of more than one type of soil. For example, if your home is built on top of two different soils, one that holds water very well and one that doesn’t. This can cause differential settlement, which can then lead to structural damage.
Why do home builders build homes on clay or different types of soil that could be a problem?
Reputable Homebuilders usually strengthen the soil using a chemical grout injection, which solidifies loose soil.
Another common solution is to install pre-construction helical piles/piers for projects that require deep foundations. The piers work to transfer the structure’s load to the soil that can better support it.
Soil erosion due to improper drainage off the roof or from improper lot grading.
Inadequate drainage around your home can lead to over-saturation of the soil, which can then cause soil erosion. When this happens, your home’s foundation can destabilize. Walls might buckle, the building might start to tilt, etc. Dangerous underground voids can even develop due to soil erosion.
Drainage problems can be caused by a number of things, including:
Water and rain from rooftops and pooling near your foundation.
Clogged gutters and downspouts are causing the same. Downspouts need to be angled properly, so water doesn’t pool near the foundation and destabilize the soil. Downspout extensions will also help you keep water from pooling near the foundation.
Your yard eroding and causing low areas in your yard close to the foundation collect water after heavy rains. Standing water can slowly erode the supporting soil layers and limestone beneath the surface and cause sinkholes to form. This can also happen if you have a plumbing slab leak. These leaks overtime can erode the soil away from under your home’s foundation causing a sinkhole that cracks your foundation.
You can avoid these problems by making sure water always flows away from your home, not toward it. And you can also have a plumber do regular checks for underground plumbing leaks as a preventive measure, French drains and other types of water run-off systems are a couple of possible solutions to drainage problems.
Other common signs of poor grading that can cause foundation issues down the road:
Trees or other vertical structures such as poles and fence posts that are starting to tilt
Difficulty closing doors and windows.
Water bills that are higher than usual indicate there may be a leak in underground water supply lines.
Areas of ground that are soft and spongy. Check especially the area around anything that’s tilting.
Tree roots don’t cause cracked sidewalks or driveways that you know.
Indentations and sunken areas in the lawn or under pavers.
How you can prevent problems with your concrete foundation?
Evenly water your lawn during hot/dry weather if you live in an area with expansive soil.
Water large trees near your home so their roots don’t seek water under your home’s foundation.
Make sure water drains away from your foundation during the rainy season.
Keep plumbing, gutters, downspouts, etc. in proper working order.
After heavy rains, inspect your yard for pooled water. If you have any drainage problems in those areas, fix them.
Make sure underground drains and water supply lines are free from leaks – plumbers can test for this.
If you own a swimming pool, make sure the pressurized water lines don’t leak – do preventive testing often.
When you spot possible foundation problems, act immediately! Alamo City Foundation Repair can identify an eliminate any foundation problems at very affordable prices. Call us today.